


Less Weird (The "better than nice" Remix)

by lasersheith



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Childhood Friends, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Shiro's gay awakening, like two seconds of shiro/veronica but they're just friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:21:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24724471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasersheith/pseuds/lasersheith
Summary: Shiro has his first kiss after his junior prom. It isn't quite what he expected, but it does lead to an interesting theory; one that his best friend, Keith, is more than happy to help him figure out.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 94
Collections: Sheith Remix 2020





	Less Weird (The "better than nice" Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [better than nice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19715107) by [imagines](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imagines/pseuds/imagines). 



Shiro’s ears were still thrumming from the loud music that had been assaulting them all night. His cheeks were sore from laughing and the beginning of a headache thudded behind his eyes. He wasn’t sure if it was from exhaustion or the musty smell his grandpa’s backseat always seemed to emanate when the weather got warm. Veronica was smiling next to him as Shiro pulled the car into her driveway. It rolled a few inches back down the slight incline before the sticky gears slid fully into park. 

“Thanks for going to prom with me, Shiro,” she said shyly, staring down at her seatbelt as though the three-time Science Olympiad champion was hard-pressed to figure out a simple buckle. 

“It was really fun, thanks for inviting me,” Shiro replied, leaning over and pressing the release for her.

She laughed, a little higher pitched than Shiro could remember her normally sounding. It was strange; he’d never seen her nervous before. Finals, AP exams, softball state championships, and heated debates hardly seemed to faze her, but for some reason Veronica was _nervous_ sitting here in her driveway in Shiro’s grandpa’s beat up old Buick. He’d taken her home more times than he could count, but there was something different in the way she was looking at him now that just seemed _odd._

A bead of sweat from underneath Shiro’s starched collar slid down his back and made him shiver. The moment seemed to last a lifetime, but finally Veronica leaned over the center console until she was so close Shiro could smell the sprite-and-rainbow-sherbert-punch still lingering on her breath. 

Before Shiro consciously realized what was happening, he closed the tiny gap between them and their lips were pressed together. Keith’s voice suddenly flashed into his mind. 

_Why are you being weird?_

_Veronica asked me to prom._

_So?_

_So… what if she wants me to… to kiss her or something?_

_Well do you want to kiss her?_

_I… I don’t know. I’ve never kissed anyone before. What if I’m bad at it?_

_Shiro, you’ve never been bad at anything before in your life. I’m sure you’ll be a great kisser._

He didn’t feel like a great kisser; Veronica’s creamy pink lipstick slid across his dry lips and her hand reached up to cup his cheek and all Shiro could think about was what to do with his hands and how _weird_ everything felt. 

She pulled away with a quiet laugh that made Shiro’s stomach do somersaults. “Uh, yeah. I’ll see you Monday!” 

“Yeah,” Shiro murmured, watching her sparkly purple dress disappear out of the passenger door and up to the dark porch. 

He waited until he was sure she’d made it inside to throw the car into reverse and hightail it out of her neighborhood. 

Shiro’s mind raced. Was that how kissing was supposed to go? Movies and TV and books always made it sound so _magical,_ so _overwhelming._ All he felt was sticky from the lipstick he was sure was smeared all over his mouth and worried he’d just hurt his friend’s feelings. 

The lights were off in his house by the time he pulled up to the curb. His grandpa had told him to be safe, have fun, and be quiet coming home, so Shiro hadn’t expected him to be awake at this hour. Still, he didn’t want to go inside. Instead, he turned off the car and sat there in the dark, willing his heart to stop hammering against his ribs. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket after a few minutes and Shiro hastily grabbed it, more than thankful for the distraction. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw _Veronica_ in the message preview. 

Veronica: Hey I’m sorry if kissing you was weird 

Shiro stared at the message, feeling his throat tighten as he tried to come up with something to reply. It _was_ weird but he didn’t _want_ it to be weird. He wanted things to be normal. His stomach started to ache. 

Veronica: This is really awkward and I don’t know how to say this so I’m just gonna say it, please don’t tell anyone 

Shiro’s eyes widened as he waited for the rest of the message. 

Veronica: You’re really cool and I like you as a friend a lot but I kinda thought I was gay and now I’m pretty sure I am. I’m really sorry. 

That message and the string of emojis that followed made Shiro chuckle. The chuckle turned into a laugh and the laugh turned into hysterics. His shoulders shook and tears streamed down his face. Shiro had no idea how long it took for him to calm down, but once he could breathe again, he wiped his face and typed out his reply. 

Shiro: I’m glad you said something and actually uh… same? 

It didn’t take Veronica long at all to respond. 

Veronica: Are you making fun of me? 

Shiro: No. 100% serious. 

Veronica: Cool.

Shiro laughed again, this time a quiet, soft chuckle that didn’t devolve beyond his control. He winced as he saw the time: just after 1:30 in the morning, but knew if he didn’t tug this thread now he’d lose his resolve. 

Shiro: You up? 

Keith: am now. Y 

Shiro: Can I come over? 

Keith: sure 

Shiro couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He tossed his phone into the passenger seat and started the car again, heading down the familiar streets to Keith’s house. 

The lights were all off except the bedroom in the far corner, next to the big sturdy oak just outside the fence to the backyard. Shiro killed the engine and hopped out, not even bothering to remove his stuffy tuxedo jacket before taking a running leap for the lowest branch on the tree. His biceps and shoulders strained at the fabric as he pulled himself up high enough to shimmy over to the roof. After two quick, quiet taps on the glass, Keith was there, pulling the window open and ushering Shiro inside. 

Shiro’s heart was pounding, not just from the exertion and adrenaline of his climb, but also from the dazed, half-asleep smile on Keith’s face, haloed by his shaggy sleep-mussed hair. 

“You coulda just come in the back. Pop’s at the station,” Keith mumbled with a half-laugh, half-yawn. 

Shiro chuckled uncomfortably. “I didn’t even think to check the driveway.” 

Keith rolled his eyes fondly and flopped back down on his rumpled bedspread. Shiro took a few steps toward the bed and hesitated, turning instead to sit on Keith’s desk chair on the other side of the small bedroom. They sat in one of the few uncomfortable silences of their long friendship. 

“So…” Keith started, prompting Shiro to continue. When no response followed, he frowned. “Uh, how was prom?” 

Shiro blinked, considering the question for far longer than it warranted. “It was… it was fine. Yeah.” 

Keith’s frown deepened. “You’re being weird.” 

Shiro sighed and licked his lips. It had seemed like such a good idea to come here, to tell Keith what Veronica had helped him realize, to confess to his best friend why none of the girls who were constantly throwing themselves at him seemed to hold his interest, to tell him why Shiro’s heart raced and stomach dropped every time Keith smiled at him. It didn’t seem like such a good idea now. 

“Yeah…” He finally replied when the silence stretched too far. 

Keith stared at him blankly. “Talk about it if you wanna, otherwise I’m going back to bed. It’s like 2 am.”

Shiro wanted to tell him, tried to make his lips form the words, begged his racing thoughts to align in some coherent order he could just spit out. But nothing came. 

“Mmkay,” Keith mumbled, voice thick with annoyance and tiredness. “Well if you figure it out, wake me up.” 

With that he grabbed his blanket and started rearranging his pillows to tuck himself back into bed. 

“I think I might be gay,” Shiro finally blurted before Keith had a chance to get settled back into bed. 

Keith froze, eyes narrowing in confusion. He looked up at Shiro with his lips pursed into a thin line. Shiro had never seen that look on his face before. Another awkward silence stretched between them. 

It felt like someone had reached into Shiro’s chest and squeezed all the air out of his lungs. He stood up and headed back to the window to leave. “Right, I should go. Sorry for waking you up.” 

Before he could unlatch the window and start his climb, Keith scrambled out of bed and caught his arm at the wrist. “No, Shiro… sorry. It’s okay. Stay.” His voice came out in a hushed whisper. 

Shiro turned back to him and swallowed hard. “Are you sure?” 

Keith nodded with no hesitation. “Yeah, absolutely. Just wasn’t expecting that is all.” He dropped Shiro’s hand and made his way back to the bed, sitting on the edge. “Come sit down.” 

Woodenly, Shiro stumbled to Keith’s side and all but fell onto the bed. He’d finally said it and Keith still wanted him to stay. Maybe things would be alright. 

“So,” Keith started, clearly his throat quietly. “What uh… what makes you think you’re gay?” 

The question was innocent enough, but it still made Shiro’s head spin. In truth, he hadn’t thought about it consciously until Veronica’s confession made all the pieces he’d refused to consider fall into place, but he’d promised to keep that a secret. Still, he couldn’t lie to Keith. 

“Veronica kissed me when I took her home and it was really weird.” It was as much of the truth as he could muster. 

Keith nodded, eyes pointedly staring at the rug and not meeting Shiro’s. “And you think it would have been less weird if she was a guy?” 

The question came out so quietly Shiro had to strain to hear it. “Well, yeah,” he finally mumbled after a long moment.

“I’m a guy,” Keith said, finally looking up into Shiro’s eyes for the first time since the conversation had begun.

The intensity of the statement and the gaze took Shiro aback. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Y-yeah…” he agreed, not quite sure what he was agreeing to. 

“You could kiss me.” 

Shiro blinked. Could he? Could he kiss Keith? His body moved seemingly before his mind had ordered it to. He slid closer to where Keith was sitting until their thighs were touching. One hand rested on Keith’s lower back and the other moved up to cup Keith’s cheek. He leaned his head down and Keith surged up, pressing their lips together firmly. 

There was no sticky lipstick, no overwhelming perfume, and no anxiety of where to put his hands. Shiro melted into the kiss, letting his thumb brush the coarse yet somehow soft skin of Keith’s cheek. Keith’s arms moved to wrap around Shiro’s neck and pull him closer, their tongues slid against each other in a rhythm that Shiro felt he’d known his whole life. 

After what might have been a minute or an hour or a lifetime, Shiro pulled away just far enough to rest his forehead against Keith’s and catch his breath. He couldn’t help the soft laugh that bubbled up from his chest. 

“What’s so funny?” Keith mumbled, knocking their noses together playfully. 

“I just,” Shiro shook his head, laughing again. “Yeah I’m definitely sure now.” 

Keith grinned and pushed Shiro’s face away. “Me too.” 

“Really? I hadn’t figured,” Shiro retorted with a smirk. 

Keith grabbed a pillow and chucked it at him with a grunt of mock-indignation. “If we’re done with the theatrics, can we go to bed now?” 

Shiro laughed and set the pillow on the foot of the bed. It felt strange to strip down to his boxers and undershirt even though he and Keith had had countless sleepovers over the years. He tried not to think too hard about it before climbing into Keith’s bed, his head at Keith’s feet like they always used to lay. 

“Come up here,” Keith murmured softly nodding to the spot next to him. 

Shiro smiled and squirmed his way up the bed, setting his pillow next to Keith’s and opening his arms. Keith nestled against his chest and tucked his head under Shiro’s chin. “G’night,” he whispered. 

They’d have a lot to talk about in the morning, but for now, Shiro let the soft sounds of Keith’s steady breathing lull him to sleep. 

“Good night,” Shiro replied, placing a soft kiss on the top of his head.


End file.
